Railway power plant



July 9, 1935.

WITNESSES:

Flat. 5.

J. DICKSON RAILWAY POWER PLANT Filed June 20, 1934 INVENTOR JOHN DICHSQN.

VRM

ATTORNEY Patented July 9, 1935 PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY POWER PLANT John Dickson,

Westinghouse Swarthmore, Pa., Electric & Manufacturing Comassignmto pany, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 20, 1934, Serial No. 731,414

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a power plant unit, more particularly of a type suitable for railway use, and it has for an object to provide apparatus of this character including a bed plate structure having mounted thereon an internal combustion engine, a radiator and a generator disposed between the engine and radiator with an auxiliary device mounted on the generator and provided with a drive shaft, one end of which is connected to the engine and the other end of which carries a fan for circu ating air through the radiator.

A further object of my invention is to provide a compact power plant of the internal combustion engine and electric type wherein an auxiliary device essential to operation of the engine is mounted on the generator and wherein the radiator of the engine is disposed so that its height is substantially bisected by the axis of the drive shaft of the auxiliary device so that a fan may be mounted on the drive shaft and properly disposed relatively to the radiator to secure proper circulation of, air through the latter.

A further object of my invention is to provide a power plant unit comprised by a bed plate structure having mounted thereon an internal combustion engine, a radiator and a generator between the engine and the radiator with an air compressor" mounted on the generator for furnishing air to the engine and having a drive shaft, one end of which is connected to the engine and the other end of which is connected to a fan for circulating air through the radiator, the radiator being positioned to extend sufficiently above the generator so that the fan may be disposed relatively thereto in such a manner as to insure good circulation of air through the radiator.

These and other objects are effected by my invention, as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view'of plant unit;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational ratus shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail,

I show bed plate structure l0 having an internal combustion engine I I, preferably of the Diesel type, a radiator l2, and a generator I3 mounted on the bed plate structure with the generator arranged between the radiator and the engine.

The generator has mounted thereon auxiliary apparatus, at I 4,including a drive shaft l5 exmy improved power view of the appatending lengthwise of the unit, one end oi. the drive shaft being connected by suitable means, at 16, to a suitable shaft of the engine disposed adjacent to the head portion of the latter, for example, the cam shaft, and the other end of the 5 drive shaft carrying'a fan I! disposed adjacent to the radiator.

By way of example, I show the auxiliary apparatus, at M, as being an air compressor which cooperates with the engine to supply air thereto 10 for supercharging or for any other suitable purpose, such as for air brakes or switches when the plant is used for railway propulsion. It will be obvious that the apparatus, at I4, might be any other auxiliary driven by the engine and which 15 cooperates to secure operation of the latter.

Where the auxiliary apparatus is comprised by a compressor, it preferably includes one or more cylinders l8 having pistons I 9 therein operatively connected to the crank shaft 15 carried by bearings 20 at either end of the crank case 2|.

The radiator I 2 is elevated sufiiciently with respect to the generator so that the fan is disposed relatively thereto in such manner as to secure effective circulation of air thereth rough. It will be apparent that the drive shaft I5 is spaced above the top of the generator. Therefore, the radiator is elevated so that its height is substantially bisected by the axis of the drive or crank shaft IS.

A hood or short conduit 23 preferably cooperates with the radiator and the fan, the radiator and the fan being disposed transversely thereof,

0 that the draft effect of the fan is fully exerted to induce flow through the radiator, the hood or 35 conduit preferably including a convergent portion 24 having its larger end conforming to the outline of the radiator and its 'smaller end circular, the smaller and circular end being connected to a cylindrical portion 25 surrounding the fan.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A power plant unit including a bed plate structure, an internal combustion engine carried by the bed plate structure and requiring air for its operation, a generator connected to the engine and carried by the bed plate structure, cooling means for the engine including a radiator carried 2 by the bed plate structure, the generator being disposed between the engine and the radiator, a compressor mounted on the generator for furnishing air to the engine and including a drive shaft connected at one end to the engine, and a fan carried by the other end of the drive shaft forcirculating air through the radiator, said radiator being arranged with respect to the generator so that the fan is effective to circulate air through the radiator.

2. A power plant unit including a bed plate structure, an. internal combustion engine carried by the bed plate structure and requiring air for its operatioma generator connected to the engine and carried by the bed plate structure, cooling means for the engine including a radiator carried by the bed plate structure, the generator beingdisposed between the engine and the radiator, a compressor mounted on the generator for furnishing air to the engine and including a drive shaft connected at one end to the engine, a fan carried by the other end of the drive shaft for circulating air through the radiator, said radiator being so disposed that the extended axis of the drive shaft substantially bisects the vertical height thereof, and means providing a relatively short conduit transversely of which are disposed the radiator and the fan, the conduit including a cylindrical portion surrounding the fan and joined to a divergent portion whose larger end conform to the outline of the radiator.

3. In a power plant for effecting propulsion operation, a bedplate structure; an internal combustion engine carried by the bedplate structure and having a shaft adjacent to the head portion there= oi; a generator connected directly to the engine and carried by the bedplate structure; cooling means for the engine including a radiator carried by the bedplate structure; the generator being disposed between the engine and the radiator; an auxiliary device essential to propulsion operation and disposed between the engine and the radiator;

said auxiliary device including a housing, spaced forward and rearward bearings ,carried thereby, and a drive shaft provided with journal portions fitting the bearings and arranged above .and parallel to the generator: said drive shaft having terminal portions extending forwardly and rearwardly of the forward and the rearward bearings, respectively; a fan carried by said forward terminal portion; means for transmittingpower from the engine shaft to said rearward terminal portion of the drive shaft; and means for mounting the housing of the auxiliary device on the generator in such manner, and said housing being so constructed and arranged, that thebearings and the drive shaft are located so as to properly position the fan with respect to the radiator and to facilitate the provision of power transmission means ior the engine shaft to the drive shaft.

4. In a power plant for supplying electrical energy and compressed air to efiect propulsion operation, a bed plate structure, an internal combustion engine carried by the bed plate strutture, a generator connected directly to the engine and carried by the bed plate structure, cooling means for the engine including a radiator carried by the bed plate structure, the generator being disposed between the engine and the radiator, an air compressor mounted on and carried by the generator, said air compressor including a housing provided with bearings and a drive shaft carried by the bearings and the drive shaft being arranged parallel to the generator and extending outboard of the bearings at each end of the com= pressor, means for transmitting power from the engine to the outboard end of the drive shaft adjacent to the latter, and a fan connected to the outboard end of the drive shaft adjacent to the radiator, the radiator being so located with respect to the fan that the latter is effected to circulate air therethrough.

JOHN DIG EON. 

